Flange curling and counting machine



Das. 26, 1922. 1,449,379

` F. RUDOLPHI.

FLANGE CURLING AND CouNTlNe MACHINE.

FILED Aus. 6. 1919.. 6 SHEETS-'SHEET 3 um. 2s, w22,

F. RUDOLPHI. FLANGE CURLING AND CouNTlNG MAcHlNE.

FlLso Aue. 6. |918- 6 SHEETS-SHEET 6 Patented Dec. 26, i922.

entre at4 tiene acteur i.

FRANK RUDOLPHI, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN CAN COMPANY, OFNEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

FLANGE CURLING AND COUNTING MACHINE.

Application filed August 6, 1919. Serial No. 315,611.

To all lzii/1,0m 'it may concer-a:

Be it known that I, FRANK RUooLrH1,'a citizen of the United States,residing in New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,have invented a new and operation on the can end, as for example,-

curling the fianges or gauging them, or both, of a stacking mechanismfor stacking the ends operated upon and a counting device or mechanismadapted to count the ends as they are operated upon, that is to say, tocount them while they 4are passing through the mechanisms.

-A further object of the invention is the provision of a machine forcurling the edges of rectangular can ends, having a counting mechanismconveniently arranged and located so that it will no-t interfere withthe feeding of the can ends to the machine or their delivery therefrom.

Another important object of the invention is the provision in a machinethrough which can ends are advanced by the action of the forming membersof a counting mechanism for counting the can ends While moving under thedirecting force of such forming mechanism.

Another highly important object of the invention is the provision of astacking mechanism .so constructed and arranged with respect to theother operating parts -of the machine that it will automatically receivethe can ends and arrange them in stack -formation.

i Although the invention is hereinafter described in connection with amachine for curling and gauging thecurls formed on rectangular flangecan ends, it will be manifest that certain features of the inventionrender it usable in apparatus of other forms and forA other purposes.

.Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparentas the invention is better understood from the following description.,which when taken in connection with the accompanying drawingsillustrates a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings,

Figure l is a top plan view of an apparatus embodying my presentinvention;

Fig. 2 is a section taken substantiall \v on a line Q-2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3, is an end view of the same, a part of the base being'brokenaway;

Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 Fig. l;

Fig. 5 isan enlarged sec-tion taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. l;

Fig. 6 is a similar viewwith the. parts differently arranged and -takenon the line (3-6 of Fig. l;

Fig. 7 is a section taken through the gear f box; 1

Fig. 8 is a section taken on the line 8 8 of Fig. l; A

Figs. 9-13 are enlarged details showing the progressive feeding of thecan end. formation of the curls, and gauging of Athe curls and spacesbetween the edges of the curls and the shoulders of the can end;

Fig. 14C is a perspective view of a can end after it has passed throughthis apparatus; and y Fig. l5 is a partial view showing a part of acounting mechanism.

The machine showin on the drawing is adapted to operate uponthe usualrectanguiar sardine can end or-closure of commerce, and it is intendedthat the machine,v lwill form upon the opposite longer sides a Vcurl atthe fiange edge. This will, perhaps,

clearly apparent upon' comparing this Fig.

8 upon the same sheet of drawing.

My present invention concerns itself particularly with the arrangementof counting l devices in this and other similar machines, this beingselected for the purposes of illustration, because it operates upon thecan end to perform a final operation 5 because it provides la machinethrough which the can ends are moved by the forming parts and for otherreasons whichwill be maniv5 fest. as the invention is understood.

. The apparatus shown' on the drawing and of which mention has alreadybeen made,

will nowbe described. A bed 31 is rigidly supported and prefer= ably vininclinedI position upon legs 32 at s the feed end, and `legs 33 at thedelivery end, which legs may, of course, be individual supports orconstitute parts ofthe machine framef Mounted upon this bed andextending longitudinally of it is a roll housing 34, to which, or to thebed, is pivoted a companion roll housing V35'at 36, the pivots 36inthepresent instance, being shown as in- .dicated i'n Figs. 3 and`V` 4as engaged in -lugs 3 7. These, housings carry a plurality of sets ofrolls for operating u on the can ends inv the manner indicated inl igs.9 to 13.

A can'end entering into the operative portion of the machine is engagedfirst -by two rolls 41 and 42 which are merely feeding'rolls in thepresent instance. These rolls have parts43 of diameter larger than thebodies and are adapted to engage the- ,s'ide ianges 27 ofthe can end 25to feed it forward. .The can end next encounters a s'et of (rolls 44 and45 which provide the initial bendin the extremities of the side flangesand these` rolls have ends 46 and i 47 "which provide a-bending passbetween them to bring the edges of the flange to the angular formationshown in Fig. 10. 'That is to say, vthe set of rolls 44 and 45 bend theedges of the flanges to approximately 45 degrees from the plane of theflanges themselves. Leaving the rolls 44 and 45 the can endentersbetween rolls 48 and 49 andkthese rolls have ends -51 and 52, definingbetween them passes of right angle form, so that the part'53 which wasbent to the angular position shown in Fig. 10 is by these rolls bent tothat. shown in Fig. 11. From the rolls 48 and '49,l the can end passescurling rolls 54 which curl overthe bent up parts .53 of the Hang intouthe curls 28. From the rolls 54 t e cang end passes betw n gauging rolls55 and 56, having ends 57, one `ofwhich rolls, i. e., that to the leftviewing I Fig. 13, is disposed behind the fiangeVand that to the rightin position to cause the ends 57 to enter in between the edges of thecurls 28 and the shoulders 26 ofthe can ends to gauge the curl and thespace between the edge of the curl and the shoulder in .order that'these spaces may besuiiicient to permit the can ends to be ,assembledreadily upon the can bodies Jand without special fitting. The rolls 55and 56 act as feeding rolls also and, indeed, this is true yof the rolls44, 4.5, 48,/i9 and 54.v f

65 The rolls which operate' upon one side of All of the rolls except therolls 54 in the 75 `present insta-nce are positively driven and from acommon power sdurce. A powery shaft 61 (Fig. 2) ismounted in bearings 63and 64, and 'upon this shaft are fast and loose pulleys 65 and 66`driven' from any 80 suitable source of power. vThe shaft 61.car ries apinion or gear 67 which meshes with\y a gear '68 upon a stub shaft 69having bearn ing atj71 in the fixed housing 34 and carrying abevelledpinion 72 within the housing. 85 y This pinion is in mesh with acompanion pinion 73 fixed on a stub shaft 74 having bearing in apartition 75 which forms the upper wall of the gear case. The stub shaft74 carries a gear 77 which meshes with a 90v gear 78 upon a shaftextension 79 of roll 56, the gear 78 being located beneath the wall 75.The rolls 42, 45 and 49 also' are provided with similar shaft extensionsindicated respectively at 81, 82 and 83 and 95 vsimilarly positionedthrough the all 75. The upper ends of all these rolls have bearing inthetop wall 84 of the housing 34, an

example of which is shown in Fig. 6.

The roll '55 is mounted in the'housin 35 100 and has a shaft extension85 upon w ich is a gear 8 6 meshing with the gear 78, so that both ofthesev rolls are positively driven and in opposite directions. The rolls41, 44 -and 48 are all similarly mounted in the 105 housing 35 and inbearings 87, 88, respectively at the top and bottom of the housing.Thesebearings are spring pressed by springs 89 to cause the rolls to befirmly, but yieldinglyv held in contact with'their companion 110 againstthe flanges in the several operations. The gear connections 78 and 86are duplicated as may be seen from viewing Fig.v 7 for the three sets ofrolls 41-42, 44-45, and 4'8-49. 92 and 93 respectively upon rolls 48,44, 41,

carry gears 94, `95 and 96, meshing with companion gears 97, 98 and 99upon shaft extensions 81, 82 and 83. The gears 78, 97,A

98 and 99 '-are interconnectedby gears 101, 129

102 and'103 which are idlers and are mounted upon stud shafts 104," thuscompleting the chain of gearing for driving these several sets of rolls.No driving mechanism is provided in the present instance for vdriv- .125in the rolls 5'4`Which impart the curl, these rolls being merely mountedup nv horizontally disposed stub shafts loiii the fixed v yhousing 34,the operative p rtions of the ro1l1s'54'being located above andbeneath'130` Shaft extensions 91,

the .travel of the can end as indicated in Fig:y 5.

The can ends. of course. may be fed in between the rolls inl anysuitable fashion. However, I have shown on the drawinga guiding devicecomprising a backing plate 111 which extends past all of the rolls andis cut away at its top and bottom at 112 to permit access of the rollsto the can end.-

Plates 113 are provided at the forward end of this plate to form theother side of the guide and to direct the can ends accuratelyv "inbetween the rolls.

At the delivery end of the machine a mechanism is provided for receivingthe ends as they arrive and arranging them in stack formation. The canends pass along in vertical position and over the shaft 61, which isprovided with a feeding spiral of two din1ensions,jthat is to say thereis a worm or spiral 121 on the shaftextending from adjacent the can endreceiving point to a substantial dist-ance at one side thereof and asecond spiral 122 which forms a continuation of the first. butl which isof materially larger diameter and brings the can 'ends to nearly uprightposition as they are fed forwardly by'A reason of therotation of theshaft. The smaller spiral permits the ends to pass into position forstacking at any instant they may arrive at the stacking station. If thespiral is not then ,in position for an end to enter between the threadsit may merely ride there-upon until a recess is presented to receive it.The can ends after they leave the spirals pass into a constantly fenlarging receiving and stacking pocket formed by the bed 11 at thebottom/upwardly extending side walls 123 at the sides and a moving arm124 at the front. This arm 1s mounted upon a rod 125, carried inbrackets 126, from bearings 63 and 64 and is adapted to be moved aheadas the can ends are assemblediand as may be seen by lcomparing Figs. 1and 8.

The construction just described permits of the accurate stacking of thecompleted ends and this without requiring accurate timing of theoperations of curling with the stacking mechanism. Locking means areprovided to hold the housings inoperative relation and these lockingmeans in the present instance comprise one or mbre levers 131, pivotedat 132 on the housing 35 and having a lug 134 adapted to engage behind acompanion lug 135 on the housing 34.v If del selves.

a pin and slot connection with a lever 141. This pin and slot connectionis indicatedl at 139. The lever is'so constructed and arranged that itsfree endis disposed in the path of travel of the can ends as. they moveforward under the actionof the rolls them- In the present instance theend of this lever is positioned between the feeding rolls 41 and 42, andvthe initial forming rolls 44 and 45. *I

It will be noted that the housings may be separated without interferingwith'the position of the counting'mechanism, and that when So arrangedthe counting mechanism counts the can ends when their formation isnearly completed. It will be manifest also that the counting mechanismis actuated by l 4 thepressure of the advancing can ends and thiswithout requiring any conveyer for carrying the can ends past thecounting mechanism. y

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantageswill be under- 1. In a can `endcurling mechanism, ink

combination, a seriesi` of pairs of rollers which grasp the can ends andfeed them y from one pair to another pair of said rollers, 1

flange-bending means operating on the edges of the can ends as they areso fed, and can end counting means having an operating element which is'at a point in the edgewise path of the can ends andv is engaged by theedges of ca'n ends 'while they are tightly grasped and being moved by apair` of said rollers. V l

2. In an apparatus for performing a forming operation on can ends, andhaving cooperatingv parts for said purpose mounted in a separablehousing divided ona vertlcal plane, one of the housing elements beingswingable laterally, a counting mechanism having a movable actuatingpart extending into .the space between the housing elements and in thepath of the can ends.

' 3. In'an apparatus having gauging means for gauging the curl of a canend, housing means for the same divided on a vertical plane, one of thehousing elements being outwardly movable, a can end counting mechanismcombined with said housing means and havingan arm extending within thehousing and arranged in the plane traversed by the can ends, and 'meansfor propelling the' can ends edgewise through said housing. I

4. A -Hanging machine for curling the flanges of rectangular can endscomprising a mechanism for curling the edges of the f flanges and astacking mechanism for stacks ing the can ends as they come from saidcurling mechanism, and means vfor counting said ends as they passthrough said curling mechanism, said counting means having an armarranged in the edgewise path of the canends. .A

5. A Hanging machine for curling lthe Hanges of rectangular can ,endscomprising a mechanism for curling the edges of the flanges and astacking mechanism for stacking the canends as the)v come from saidcurling mechanism, and a counting mechanism having lan arm arranged inthe edgethe can ends for counting the can ends dur- I ing such movement.A

A can end Hanging machine 'for curling the flanges of'cans comprisingrolls for curling said Hanges, means for gauging the l,curl formed bysaid rolls, and a feeding spiral which receives the curled can ends fromthe last rolls and removes them laterally and'stacks them on edge.

8. A can end Hanging machine for curling the flanges of cans comprisingrolls for curling saidlHangles, rolls for gauging the curl formed bysaid first mentioned. rolls, .and a feeding. spiral which receives thecurled can ends from the last rolls and removes them laterally andstacks them on edge.

9. A can end Hanging machine for curling the flanges of cans comprisingrolls for curling said Hanges, other rollsfor'simulta'- neously feedingthe can ends and gauging the c url formation, and a feeding spiral whichreceives the curled can ends from the last rolls and removes themlaterally and

